Last But Not Least

Zdenko Kožul – Ante Brkić
21st Croatian Chess Championship; Vinkovci, June 29, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

Today Grandmaster Zdenko Kožul (twice Yugoslav Chess Champion and twice Croatian Chess Champion in the same life) awoke Brkić from his dreams of glory with a shockingly brilliant attacking game — worthy of his round three miniature against Marin Bosiočić — thus confirming himself as a merciless Ragozin killer. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 0-0 8. Rc1 dxc4 9. Bxc4 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Qc2 Qe7 12. Ne4! A brilliant novelty instead of 12. a3 Bd7 13. Ba2 Rc8 14. Bb1 g6 15. h4 (I. Sokolov – Cornette, 2014 Top 12 French Team Chess Championship, Saint-Quentin 2014) and now Black should reply 15. ... h5 with complex play. 12. ... Bb4+ 13. Ke2. This is the corollary of White’s previous move. 13. ... Bd7?! Had he known what was to happen, Black would have probably played 13. ... f5! with a tough game. 14. a3 Ba5 15. b4 Bb6

16. g4!↑ Bc6? After this White’s attack spreads its wings. Better was 16. ... Rc8, though after 17. g5 Bb5 18. Ned2 Nd7 19. Rhg1↑ White keeps the initiative. 17. Rhg1 Nd7 18. g5 h5. The ending a Pawn down after 18. ... f5 19. gxh6 Bxe4 20. Rxg7+ Qxg7 21. hxg7 Bxc2 22. gxf8=Q+ Nxf8 23. Rxc2 is quite hopeless for Black. 19. g6! Rac8? Black had probably nothing better than giving up the Exchange by 19. ... f5 (20. Neg5 Rf6 21. Nh7) — but what a pity to conclude so fine a story with such a prosaic epilogue! 20. Neg5 f6 (20. ... Bxf3+ 21. Nxf3 f5 22. Ng5 Rc6 23. Qb3+−) 21. Bxe6+ Kh8

22. Nf7+! Rxf7 (22. ... Kg8 23. Qf5+−) 23. Qf5! Kg8. Black could resign here. 24. gxf7+ Kf8 25. Nh4! 1 : 0.

And so Saša Martinović finished half a point ahead of Brkić, Kožul, Hrvoje Stević, and Robert Zelčić. Photo: Croatian Chess Federation.

Off the Chart

Zdenko Kožul – Robert Zelčić
21st Croatian Chess Championship; Vinkovci, June 25, 2020
1Q6/1b3ppk/6r1/3p1q1p/2pB3n/P3RPP1/1P5P/3R2K1 w - - 5 30

Position after 29. ... Kg8-h7

Yesterday, in the round seven of the 21st Croatian Chess Championship, Zelčić overtook Kožul thanks to a lucky win as Black. In the position of the diagram, White, who is to play, should capitalise on his extra Exchange (for instance with 30. Kh1!±), but instead gets ensnared into his own mirage of mate: 30. Re8?? Nxf3+ 31. Kh1. Kožul is not tempted by 31. Kg2 Qc2+, but it’s doubtful that his move will work any better. 31. ... Rf6? (31. ... Re6! 32. Rh8+ Kg6 33. Bxg7! Re2! 34. Rh6+! Kg5! 35. g4 Qxg4 36. Qd8+ Kf4 37. Qf6+ Qf5−+) 32. Rh8+? Of course, 32. Bxf6?? loses right off to 32. ... Qc2, but 32. g4! hxg4 33. Bxf6 Nd2!∞ would have very likely ended in a draw. 32. ... Kg6 33. Qg8. Threatening Qg8-h7+ followed by mate. Now 33. g4 hxg4 34. Bxf6 would no longer be of any help to White on account of 34. ... Qe4! 35. Qg3 d4!−+ winning by force. 33. ... Ng5! 0 : 1.

Tick Tock

Saša Martinović – Zdenko Kožul
21st Croatian Chess Championship; Vinkovci, June 22, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E73

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Be3 c6 7. h3 e5 8. d5 a5 9. Nf3 Bd7 10. 0-0 Na6 11. Nd2 Nc5 12. Qb1 Qe7 13. b4 axb4 14. Qxb4 Bc8 15. a4 Nfd7 16. Nb3 Na6 17. Qa3 c5 18. Rae1 f5 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Qc1 f4 21. Bd2 Nf6 22. Qb1 Nb4 23. a5 Qd7 24. Nb5 Kh8 25. Bxb4 cxb4 26. Nd2 Rxa5 27. Qxb4 Ra6 28. Bf3 Rg8 29. Ne4 Nxe4 30. Rxe4 Bf8 31. Kh2 Qg7 32. Re2 Bf5

33. Nc3! Though far from offering any material compensation, White’s Exchange sacrifice has the merit to block off Black’s Kingside initiative and gain control of crucial light squares. 33. ... Bd3 34. Rfe1 Bxe2 35. Rxe2 Qc7 36. Rb2 b6 37. Qb5 Ra1 38. Ne4 Rc1 39. Rb4? This is a mistake that could cost Martinović dearly. White had to play 39. Qxb6 Qxb6 40. Rxb6 Rxc4 41. Rc6! with enough compensation for a draw. 39. ... Be7 40. Ra4? (40. Qxb6 Rxc4∓)

40. ... Rc8? Here Black lets slip his chance for a win, that is 40. ... Bh4! (threatening ... Qc7-g7-g3+) 41. Qb2 b5!−+ (Kožul may have overlooked this move). Now both seem content to go for a draw: 41. Bg4 Rd8 42. Qc6 Qb8 43. Rb4 Qa7 44. Ra4 Qb8 45. Rb4 Qa7 ½ : ½.

Despite today’s draw, Kožul maintains one point lead after round four. Screenshot from the live stream. Courtesy of Patrick Nikić.

The Living Age

Zdenko Kožul – Marin Bosiočić
21st Croatian Chess Championship; Vinkovci, June 21, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

The first signs of (chess) life on earth — after the coronavirus aftermath — come from Vinkovci, in the Vukovar-Srijem County of eastern Croatia, where is underway the 21st Croatian Chess Championship, which is being tamely staged in the offline world. After the first three rounds, Grandmaster Zdenko Kožul (twice Yugoslav Chess Champion and twice Croatian Chess Champion) is leading with full score. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 0-0 8. Rc1 dxc4 9. Bxc4 c5 10. dxc5. 10. 0-0 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Qh5 Nc6 14. Nb3 Be8 15. a3 f5 16. Qe2 Bxa3 17. bxa3 fxe4 18. Nc5 Ne5 19. Ba2 Nf3+ 20. Kh1 Qh4∞ is a very double-edged variation in theme, So – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2015. 10. ... Nd7 11. 0-0 Nxc5 12. Nb5 Ba5!? A novelty in place of 12. ... a6 13. Nbd4 b5 14. Be2 e5 15. Nc2 Rd8 16. Nxb4 Rxd1 17. Rfxd1 a5 18. Nd5 Qd6 19. Nxe5 Bb7 20. Bf3 Rc8 21. Ng4 Qf8 22. h4 Nd7 with dynamic equilibrium, Carlsen – Navara, 51st International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2018. 13. Be2 Qe7? An obvious mistake. 13. ... Rd8 14. Qc2 Bb6 was quite reasonably sound.

14. Qd6! Qxd6 15. Nxd6 Na4 16. Ne5 Bb4 17. Ndxf7 Nxb2 18. Bh5 a5? 18. ... b5 19. Rc7 Nc4 may be a little better, but after 20. Nc6 White maintains a very powerful bind. 19. Rc7 Na4

20. Bg6! 1 : 0. In fact, Black has no good answer to the threat of 21. Nxh6+ gxh6 22. Bh7+ Kh8 23. Ng6#.

Indeed, it might be said that Kožul’s opponent took a bit too seriously health guidelines about social distancing. Photo: Croatian Chess Federation.